Trip Overview

Trace the history of China by taking this trip. Walk through the time-locked Pingyao, and you'll find yourself wandering in the past as real among those 14th-century Chinese style grey houses mixed with red lanterns.
Appreciate Yungang Grottoes, the ancient Chinese Buddhist temple grottoes near the city of Datong.

Itinerary Details Day by Day

Day 1 Datong Arrival

Take the morning flight from Beijing to Datong. Our local guide will pick you up to have a rest in your hotel.

In the afternoon, you'll visit the Chinese No.1 stone carving art---Yungang Grottoes, which are ancient Chinese Buddhist temple grottoes near the city of Datong, Shanxi, and composed of 252 grottoes with more than 51,000 Buddha statues and statuettes. As excellent examples of rock-cut architecture and a UNESCO World Heritage Site made in 2001. Yungang Grottoes is one of the three most famous ancient Buddhist sculptural sites of China (the other two are Longmen and Mogao). Visit the biggest screen---Nine-Dragon Screen as well.

Day 2 Datong-Mt. Wutai (B,L)

In the Morning drive to visit the head of the four Buddhist holy mountains and ten famous summer resort mountains in China --- Wutai Mountain (literally "Five Plateau Mountain"). Visit one of the eight highlights of Mt. Heng---Hanging Temple of
Heng Mountain en route, which was built over 1,500 years ago on a cliff
and is supported beneath by a few wooden poles, hanging on the side of
the Heng Mountain.

Then you will be transferred to Wutai Mountain, it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The rest of evening is free at your leisure

Day2 Datong-Mt. Wutai (B, L)

In the Morning drive to visit the head of the four Buddhist holy mountains and ten famous summer resort mountains in China --- Wutai Mountain (literally "Five Plateau Mountain"). Visit one of the eight highlights of Mt. Heng---Hanging Temple of Heng Mountain en route, which was built over 1,500 years ago on a cliff and is supported beneath by a few wooden poles, hanging on the side of the Heng Mountain. Then, explore Wutai Mountain, which is home to many of China's most important temples like Nanshan Temple which comprises seven terraces, Xiantong Temple, the marking building of Mt. Wutai ---Tayuan Temple and Pusading Temple etc. In 2009, Mt. Wutai was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After this visit, have rest in your hotel.In the Morning drive to visit the head of the four Buddhist holy mountains and ten famous summer resort mountains in China --- Wutai Mountain (literally "Five Plateau Mountain"). Visit one of the eight highlights of Mt. Heng---Hanging Temple of Heng Mountain en route, which was built over 1,500 years ago on a cliff and is supported beneath by a few wooden poles, hanging on the side of the Heng Mountain. Then, explore Wutai Mountain, which is home to many of China's most important temples like Nanshan Temple which comprises seven terraces, Xiantong Temple, the marking building of Mt. Wutai ---Tayuan Temple and Pusading Temple etc. In 2009, Mt. Wutai was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After this visit, have rest in your hotel.

Day 3 Mt.Wutai (B,L)

Today you will spend full day explore Wutai Mountain, which is home to many of China's most important temples like Nanshan Temple which comprises seven terraces, Xiantong Temple, the marking building of Mt. Wutai ---Tayuan Temple and Pusading Temple etc. In 2009, Mt. Wutai was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

After this visit, have a rest in your hotel.

Day3 Mt. Wutai-Taiyuan (B, L)

Drive to Taiyuan. In the afternoon, visit Jinci Temple, located at the foot of the Xuanweng Mountain to the southwest of Taiyuan. It is China's largest garden-style temple architecture and one of the most important historical relics, where the mountain, the glittering river running surround, the bridge, the old tree rushing into the sky and the imposing ancient buildings (including halls, pavilions, and towers) all together makes you in an unbelievable painting of nature beauty. Additionally, the cypress, the long-life spring and the painted clay figures of maids in the Saintly Mother's Hall are well-known as Jinci Temple's “three wonders”. After this visit, drive to Shanxi Vinegar Cultural Park, where you can personally experience the production process of Shanxi Old/Classical Vinegar and taste the vinegar of vinegars in China.

Day 4 Mt. Wutai-Taiyuan-Pingyao (B,L)

After breakfast you'll be transferred to Pingyao via Taiyuan. On the way there you will visit Jinci Temple, located at the foot of the Xuanweng Mountain to the southwest of Taiyuan. It is China's largest garden-style temple architecture and one of the most important historical relics.

Then move on to visit Qiao's family compund, which was the residential house of the well-know financier Qiao Zhiyong of Qing Dynasty. The Compound gained its renown not only for its large scale but also for the exquisite craftsmanship reflected in the brick carving, woodcarving and murals.

Upon your Pingyao arrival, transer to your hotel.

Day4 Taiyuan-Pingyao –Taiyuan (B, L)

Today, tour the world cultural heritage --- Pingyao Ancient City, boasting a history of over 2,700 years. Pingyao City Wall, Shuangxiu Temple and Zhenguo Temple are the three Key National Protected Relics in Pingyao, and in 1997, it became a UNESCO’s World Heritage Site for its well-reserved urban landscape of China's Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. Then, on the way back to Taiyuan, visit Qiao Family Courtyard, the epitome of the Jin Businessmen’s culture. (Take the evening flight back to Beijing or other destinations)

Day 5 Pingyao-Xi'an (B,L)

Today, tour the world cultural heritage --- Pingyao Ancient City, boasting a history of over 2,700 years. Pingyao City Wall, Shuangxiu Temple and Zhenguo Temple are the three Key National Protected Relics in Pingyao, and in 1997, it became a UNESCO’s World Heritage Site for its well-reserved urban landscape of China's Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties.

Arrive in Xi'an in the early morning, transfer to your hotel in downtown.

After having breakfast there, you will be transferred to visit the Terra-cotta Warriorsand Horses. After lunch move on to visit Wild Goose Pagoda. The rest of the day is free at your leisure.

Day 7 Xi'an-Departure (B,L)

After breakfast pay a visit to the Ancient City Wall where you can
rent a bike to bike around the wall. Afterwards you will visit Bell
Tower and Square. Enjoy a lunch at a local famous restaurant, then visit the Shaanxi History Museum and the Grand Mosque till it's time to transfer to airport for your flight.

Most Recommended Add-ons / Optional Activities

+ 2 more days to visit the world famous city everyone knows metropolis - Shanghai

Shanghai is one of the world famous city everyone knows!

This amazing metropolis is a historically and culturally rich city with plenty of tourism resources and your China tour is not complete without a Shanghai visit. Let's rock and roll the China's bustling financial center of Shanghai - the "Paris of the East."

+ One day badaling & Forbidden City Bus Tour only US $39 p/p

Pick up at your hotel between 7:00am and 8:30am, and then driving one hour to get to the Tiananmen Square for sightseeing about 40 minutes. Then walking to the Forbidden City. It is the largest and best-preserved palatial complex. Walk along the central axis of palaces from south to north for 2 hours. Then driving one hour to ChangPing county. Before having lunch, you will have 45 minutes to have a short visit of Jade Carving Factory. The jade carving is a famous special Chinese product, a blend of the excellent skill on carving and Chinese traditional cultures.

Having Chinese typical lunch at local restaurant. After lunch, driving 30 minutes and get to Badaling Great Wall. Badaling section is the most famous and best-preserved wall. Its highest point at Badaling is some 800 meters above sea level. Cable car is available and it is optional. On the back way to hotels, you will have the chance to visit the Chinese traditional medicine culture. Then transferred back to your hotels..

Price from $1190 (per person)

Price Conditions:
Price for private group from 10 persons in low seasons.

Please Note:
* The price of this trip changes a lot according your group number, travel season and tour class. Please contact one of our travel consultants for the most detailed quotation. We ensure the BEST price.
* Discounts for children in China are based on height. Let us know your child's age and height and we can calculate accordingly.

Price Exclusions

Service Overview of this Trip

Your experience is everything, so flawless personal service is our focus.

When you taking this trip with us, we'll make sure that you get the most out of your investment: the best value hotels, superior tour services, comfortable transfers and transportation, and an impeccable customer service.

Our Friendly & Experienced Local Tour Guide

When showing you a tourist destination, nothing is more important than the person hosting you. They must be gracious, patient, flexible, have a pleasing personality and speak English well.

Our guides are carefully selected and trained. We not only evaluate their language skills, their knowledge of sites but also their personality and ability to be a kind host.

From the moment you land in China to your departure flight home, they concentrate on your needs and being the best hosts to you that they possible can during the whole trip.

Moreover, they are flexible, so is this trip. Your guide can work with you to be flexible should you wish to change your itinerary. If its a small change they will sort it out directly with you. If its a big change they may need to call our office to coordinate it and quote costs if you are adding on to the itinerary.

Our Vehicle and Drivers Used in this Trip

We only use the safe, legal, clean and comfortable vehicle for your trip. We have a fleet of vehicles at our disposal, so depending on the size of your group, we will give you one that is the right size. We make sure everyone in your group has enough room to spread out and stow their luggage.

Normally you will have the same driver every day in a city. Drivers do not speak English, that is the job of the guide. Their job is to make you safe and comfortable.

Local Flavor Meals in this Trip

During this trip, you will have your breakfast on the hotel, which are all included in price of the package (only if you book the hotels with us).

For the lunch everyday, meals in good local restaurants include plenty of dishes selected according to your taste, and we will order more if need be, vegetarian and other special diets no problem. All lunches are included in the package.

For the dinner indicated in the itinerary, we usually take you to the very local famous restaurant, like the Quan Ju De Roast Duck in Beijing, Tang Dynasty Dumpling Dinner in Xian, etc.

For the meals not packaged on the itinerary, you can ask for some suggestions from your tour guide in each city and they usually know where to eat based on your interests.

Accommodations

We have a great relationship with a wide selection of hotels in each tourist city around China, so we could arrange the accommodations at the best price, from budget to luxurious and featured to modern, to meet every client's needs.

No Forced Shopping

Normally we arrange one or two shopping stops at each destination. At these shops you can buy genuine, high quality local specialties at a reasonable price. These shopping opportunities are according to your own desires; there will be no forced shopping.

Guaranteed Prices & No Hidden Fees

The tour price quoted for this trip what you'll pay, even if inflation or a drop in the dollar-to-yuan exchange rate increases operating costs. We have never increase your final payment, and we never will.

During the trip, no fees will be asked except for your personal expense and the additional activities.

Why Travel with Us - our advantages

A China Local Travel Agency based in Beijing

* we specialize in Beijing and other tourist destinations around China;* we can be with you every step of the way;* we can offer the LOWEST price for all trips;* we can deliver the very first-hand destination knowledge;* we can provide 24/7 in-trip assistance;

Tailor-made Itineraries

All our tours are fully customizable.

We can work with you to put together an itinerary that fits your specific needs and interests. Our staff is fully qualified to work with you to customize an itinerary on a service by service basis. Just tell us what you want and we'll make it happen!

One-on-One Travel Consultant Service

After sending us an enquiry, one of our travel consultants will respond to you within 0.5~23.5 hours. In the next planning days, you will be working closely to design an ideal trip to suit your specific interests, requirements and budget.

During your trip, they always call you to make sure everything is going well as planned.

No Forced Shopping

Normally we arrange one or two shopping stops at each destination. At these shops you can buy genuine, high quality local specialties at a reasonable price. These shopping opportunities are according to your own desires; there will be no forced shopping.

Guaranteed Prices & No Hidden Fees

The tour price quoted for this trip what you'll pay for, even if inflation or a drop in the dollar-to-yuan exchange rate increases operating costs, we never increase your final payment, and we never will.

During the trip, no fees will be asked except for your personal expense and the additional activities.

Experienced Tour Guide & Driver

Our guides are carefully selected and trained. We not only evaluate their language skills, their knowledge of sites but also their personality and ability to be a kind host.

We only use the safe, legal, clean and comfortable vehicles for your trip.

Dean Wudy was professional and an excellent tour guide! He was very helpful when we needed help with wheel chair issues. He helped us a lot through the entire trip, especially at the Great Wall. It is knowledge of Beijing history was great. We would recommend him and the driver Shed to anyone that comes to Beijing. We would like to have Dean and Shed for the next time we come to Beijing. This was a great trip. We love China.

Trip FAQs & Notes

Here you will find the answers to the questions our travelers most frequently ask about this trip. If you do not find the answer to your specific question, please contact us directly.

1. What's the private tour type?

Only you and your family, friends or colleagues in this group to visit the destinations listed on the itinerary escorted by a
private English-speaking tour guide and private vehicle with an experienced local driver.

2. Is this trip customizable?

Yes. You can either work with your travel consultant to put together an itinerary that fits your specific needs while planning step, or you may work with your tour guide while on tour should you wish to change your itinerary.

If its a small change they will sort it out directly with you. If its a big change they may need to call our office to coordinate it and quote costs if you are adding on to the itinerary.

3. What's the difference between group tour and private package?

Group tour means shared guide and shared vehicle, cost-saving but not customized, and also it is shopping tour, but you can know a lot of people from the group.

PRIVATE PACKAGE means we will provide you with a private vehicle, which is big enough for your group of people, and a private driver and guide for private tours and transfers as listed in our itinerary. Private tour is more flexible and valuable. You could spend more time at places you feel like than what has been scheduled. You could start your tour every day.

4. What's the arrangement of the vehicles for the tour?

Normally customers take care of the international flights on their own, and we can help you to book if you want. And the better thing is that leave the domestic transportation for travel agent, and they can book the train or flights based on your time and tour arrangement, it will be easy for them to change or cancel if there is any emergency.

5. How can we meet the guide at airport or train station?

Just tell the agent that your international flights information and we will arrange the guide and driver at the airport for you on time with your name card, and also the agent will arrange every city’s pick up and transfer for you, all you do is to enjoy worry-free trip in China.

6. Should we change our cell phone SIM card in China?

Normally you do not need, if you want to make a domestic call, you can ask help from the guide or hotel. If you want to communicate your travel agent at any time you want, tell them you need SIM card, they will arrange the guide help you to get one when you arrive.

And the SIM card will be 5-16$ with 4-15$ call charge in the card, which will be enough for your whole China tour.

7. What’s kind of clothes should we take? And what’s about the laundry?

Depends on how long you will stay and also the season, from late April to early Nov. you can just take some light clothes, other time, you need to take winter coat. And you can do the laundry in hotels where you will stay longer, and also different hotels have different charge rates. If necessary you can ask the guide to help to arrange it.

8. What’s the difference between shopping tour and non-shopping tour? Which one is better for me?

For shopping tour, you will be guided to some shops to buy things that you are interested, but this is not compulsive to buy, and shopping tour will be cheaper than non-shopping tour, but will be time cost in shops. And non-shopping tour you will not be guided to shops for the whole tour, and more time for sightseeing but more expensive.

If you want to buy something from China, shopping tour is better, and if you just want to enjoy the sightseeing non-shopping tour is the right choice. Also you can chose to have some shopping and non-shopping cities based on your needs if you go on a private tour.

9. How should I apply Chinese visa? Will you travel agent help with that?

Normally you need to go to the local Chinese embassy, and ask them what you should to prepare. And in some countries, they need invitation from China, so you can ask the Chinese travel agent to provide you the travel invitation, and then prepare some other documents, most time you can get the Chinese visa soon. And also you should apply the visa valid duration time based on your travel time, 15days, 30days or 90days.

10. Is it convenient for us to withdraw some money from bank in China? Should we bring cash with us for the tour?

If you hold visa card or MasterCard, you can get money at some ATM, and it will charge you some fee, different rate based on different card or country. Most shops and hotels can accept your credit card. And it is better for you to bring some cash with you, and you can change the cash at airport or hotel or bank, especially for USA dollar or Euro dollar, Australia dollar, most banks can accept that, but the change rate will change a little bit.

11. What if I get lost during the tour in China?

When you find the guide is not with you and can not find he or she in the immediate area, please don't panic, realize that your guide is not far away and he or she is actively looking for you. You will be found soon.

So you can stay where you are and let the guide find you. Do not move far away. This will ensure that you be found in a timely manner.

If there seems to be a problem with your guide finding you, find the nearest phone and call your travel company(local in China), the staff will help you to find the guide in the site. Or you can ask help from young people, because most young people can speak little bit English in China, and they will be pleasure to help you.

12. How far is Beijing airport to downtown hotels? How much it will cost if taking taxi?

To take a taxi, it cost around 100~200 RMB depending on the distance of your hotel to the airport. Subway and airport bus express are another good choice too, and they are bilingual instruction with English and Chinese.

13. What if I get sick while travel in China? Should I bring the medicine with me?

If you get sick during the trip, tell the guide or your travel agent immediately, and ask them to bring you to hospital for curing, and most hospital you just register with your passport and can get a doctor. If you catch cold or have loose bowels, just get some medicine in drugstores. If you need some special medicine, it is better for you to bring enough from your country.

14. Do the bathroom match our needs?

Most hotels especially for foreigners have closestool and shower bath, and luxury hotel even have bathtub. The hotels for foreigners are at least 3-star hotels, so the facility will be good.

15. How to avoid public holidays in China? And what will happen if come across the public holidays?

Usually the public holidays in China is Spring Festival (floating date), Labor Holiday (1st May-3rd May), Dragon Boat Festival (5th May-7th May in Chinese Lunar Calendar), the Mid-autumn Festival (15th -17th Aug. in Chinese Lunar Calendar), National Holiday (1st Oct.-7th Oct. golden week for tourism), all cost during these dates will rise much, hotels and vehicles will be 2-4 times expensive than usual.

If your travel will be in holidays, for one thing, your cost will be much more, and another is that you will see People Mountain People Sea in China.

16. Should I tip the guide and driver during the trip?

Although China is not a tips country, it will be better for people to tip the guide and driver if you think they provide you good service, it is not compulsive but it will show that you are gentle and polite.